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Distinct effects of pollinator dependence and self-incompatibility on pollen limitation in South African biodiversity hotspots.

ABSTRACT: Global synthesis indicates that limitation of plant fecundity by pollen receipt (pollen limitation) is positively related to regional plant diversity and is higher for self-incompatible than self-compatible species. While self-incompatible species are always dependent on pollinating agents, self-compatible species may be pollinator-dependent or autofertile. This should cause variation in pollen limitation among self-compatible species, with lower pollen limitation in autofertile species because they do not depend on pollinators. We hypothesized that the intensity of pollen limitation in self-incompatible compared with pollinator-dependent self-compatible species should depend on whether pollen limitation is determined more by quantity than quality of pollen received. We compared pollen limitation between these three groups using a dataset of 70 biotically pollinated species from biodiverse regions of South Africa. Comparison with a global dataset indicated that pollen limitation in the South African biodiversity hotspots was generally comparable to other regions, despite expectations of higher pollen limitation based on the global plant diversity-pollen limitation relationship. Pollen limitation was lowest for autofertile species, as expected. It was also higher for pollinator-dependent self-compatible species than self-incompatible species, consistent with increased pollen-quality limitation in the former group due to negative consequences of pollinator-mediated self-pollination. However, there was a higher frequency of plants with zygomorphic flowers, which were also more pollen-limited, among pollinator-dependent self-compatible species. Thus, we could not attribute this difference in pollen limitation exclusively to a difference in pollen quality. Nevertheless, our results indicate that comparative studies should control for both pollinator dependence and self-incompatiblity when evaluating effects of other factors on pollen limitation.

SUBMITTER: Rodger JG

PROVIDER: S-EPMC4938053 | biostudies-literature | 2016 Jun

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature

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Distinct effects of pollinator dependence and self-incompatibility on pollen limitation in South African biodiversity hotspots.

Rodger James G JG Ellis Allan G AG

Biology letters 20160608 6

Global synthesis indicates that limitation of plant fecundity by pollen receipt (pollen limitation) is positively related to regional plant diversity and is higher for self-incompatible than self-compatible species. While self-incompatible species are always dependent on pollinating agents, self-compatible species may be pollinator-dependent or autofertile. This should cause variation in pollen limitation among self-compatible species, with lower pollen limitation in autofertile species because ...[more]

PMID: 27277954

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Project description:Background and aimsInsufficient pollination is a function of quantity and quality of pollen receipt, and the relative contribution of each to pollen limitation may vary with intrinsic plant traits and extrinsic ecological properties. Community-level studies are essential to evaluate variation across species in quality limitation under common ecological conditions. This study examined whether endemic species are more limited by pollen quantity or quality than non-endemic co-flowering species in three endemic-rich plant communities located in biodiversity hotspots of different continents (Andalusia, California and Yucatan).MethodsNatural variations in pollen receipt and pollen tube formation were analysed for 20 insect-pollinated plants. Endemic and non-endemic species that co-flowered were paired in order to estimate and compare the quantity and quality components of pre-zygotic pollination success, obtained through piecewise regression analysis of the relationship between pollen grains and pollen tubes of naturally pollinated wilted flowers.Key resultsPollen tubes did not frequently exceed the number of ovules per flower. Only the combination of abundant and good quality pollen and a low number of ovules per flower conferred relief from pre-zygotic pollen limitation in the three stochastic pollination environments studied. Quality of pollen receipt was found to be as variable as quantity among study species. The relative pollination success of endemic and non-endemic species, and its quantity and quality components, was community dependent.ConclusionsAssessing both quality and quantity of pollen receipt is key to determining the ovule fertilization potential of both endemic and widespread plants in biodiverse hotspot regions. Large natural variation among flowers of the same species in the two components and pollen tube formation deserves further analysis in order to estimate the environmental, phenotypic and intraindividual sources of variation that may affect how plants evolve to overcome this limitation in different communities worldwide.

Dataset Information

Distinct effects of pollinator dependence and self-incompatibility on pollen limitation in South African biodiversity hotspots.

Publications

Distinct effects of pollinator dependence and self-incompatibility on pollen limitation in South African biodiversity hotspots.

Similar Datasets

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